Two-ply fabric



Aug., 20, 195'? J. A. MaolNTYRE TWO-FLY FABRIC Filed Aug. l2, 1954 uur:

INVENTOR. V75/2f? Nac/n ffy/" ATTORNEYS.

United States Fatent assegna Patented Aug. 20, 1957 ffice TWO-PLY FABRIC John A. Maclntyre, Barrington, R. I., assigner to U. S. Plush Mills, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Application August 12, 1954, Serial No. 449,455 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-410) This invention relates to a two-ply fabric such as may be woven in the usual plush loom and more p-articularly to an improved two-ply fabric for usey in applications where resiliency is desired.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a two-'ply fabric which will have the two plies tied together in a weaving operation, the tying threads exhibiting more elasticity than the warp and weft threads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a two-ply fabric which will be woven with groups of a plurality of tying threads, all of which exhibit more elasticity than the` warp and weft threads and which will simulate the tufting on a mattress or cushion or the like.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional View of two plies of fabric connected together by groups of tie threads;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken warpwise of the fabric of Figure l and on a larger scale;

Figure 2a is an extension of the right end of Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3--3 of Figure 2a;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken warpwise of another form of two-ply fabric in which the tying warp threads are uniformly spaced throughout the fabric every third pick.

In proceeding with this invention, I weave on a plush loom two plies of fabric and provide interconnecting threads between the two plies of fabric. These threads are preferably formed from a yarn that will exhibit some elastic properties and yet not permanently deform and should in all instances exhibit more elasticity than the warp and weft. The interconnecting threads may be provided in rows and groups or may be uniformly spaced throughout the woven plies as is desired. Additionally, the plies of fabric may be treated with a coating of material which will make them impervious to the passage of air, and if desired, the edges of the fabric may be sealed so as to provide a mattress or cushion that may be inated.

With reference to the drawings, generally designates a two-ply fabric which m-ay be sealed at its edges 11 and 12 and which is composed of two plies generally designated 13 and 14 each of woven warp and filling threads. The plies are interconnected by groups of threads designated 15 which may be woven into the two plies in a plush loom in which the cutter that usually severs the connecting threads is removed. As shown in Figures 2 and 2a, the ply 13 is composed of warps 17, 17a and filling threads or wefts 18, and ply 14 is composed of warps 19, 19a and filling threads or wefts 20. The individual connecting threads 16 are woven into the ply 13 by interlocking five picks and then extend to the ply 14 where they are similarly interlocked for five picks. The number of interlocked picks may, of course, be varied at will.

The weaving of the warp threads 16 may proceed for any number of cycles from one ply to the other, and the interconnecting warp threads may then be interlocked as at 21 and float over a number of filling threads to repeat the same operation. In Figures 2 and 2a a complete cycle is represented between arrows x--x and x--x,

The connecting threads are arranged in groups wett-l wise of the fabric and the connecting threads of each group are spaced apart as for example one reed dent. The connecting threads ofk each group are interwoven simultaneously into the outer plies of the fabric such that all the connecting threads of one group cross over from one ply to the other at the same time. At each crossover of the said threads, the same will forma row of connecting threads 16, as shown in Figure 3. Thus, 1n each repeat in accordance with the disclosure of Figures 2, 2a there will be three parallel rows of connecting threads 16 spaced live picks apart, thus forming clusterlike groups of connecting threads extending warpwise of the fabric and in line with each other. Each group of connecting threads may be woven alternately into the outer plies of the fabric in a manner such that when one row of groups of connecting threads are being interwoven, the adjacent rowsv of groups of threadsl are being flo-ated across the fabric whereby the clusters of connecting threads in a row warpwise o-f thev fabric will be in staggered relation with the clusters of threads in adjacent rows. it will, of course, be understood that the particular number of connecting threads in each group, the spacing between the threads of each group, and the spacing between clusters of connecting threads may be varied in accordance with the particular use for the fabric, the number and spacing of the connecting threads shown in the drawing and hereinabove described being merely illustrative.

In Figure 4 I show another form of utilizing interweave warp threads in which the interweave connecting thread 30 is woven between two plies of fabric 31 and 32 consisting of fillings 33 and 34, respectively, and warp threads 35, 35a and 36, 36a, respectively.` The interweave warp threads in this instance are shown as being interlocked with three fillings of one ply and then extending into the other ply and being interlocked with three fillings and the operation being repeated throughout the width of the fabric.

In each of these embodiments I preferably utilize as an interconnecting-warp thread a synthetic strand which will exhibit some elasticity. For example, I may use a strand that has imparted to it a high crimp, for example, a polyamide fibre usually referred to as nylon, or artificial silk fibres such as viscose or cellulose acetate or cuprammonium, which have had a treatment to highly kink or crimp the fibres. The yarn so formed will be heat set in this crimped condition and may in the instant preparation be given this crimping action in different ways, but for illustrative purposes, it may be crimped as shown in Patents Nos. 2,463,619 and 2,463,620. Such a yarn is found to have -a high degree of elongation, and when relaxed will under magnification show a jumbling of kinked libres. Each of the individual filaments if withdrawn from the end of the yarn will appear in a wavy form but when tension is removed, they take a very unsymmetrical mixed formation with filaments doubled upon themselves. Certain other yarns may be utilized for the interweave connecting warp threads which exhibit similar properties. For example, a rubber yarn suitabl,I covered may be utilized or straight rubber lilaments are also found to be suitable.

As for the plies of fabric, they may be woven from yarn either cotton or synthetic in a manner in which a pile fabric is usually woven and may if desired to make the plies impervious to the passage of air be first subjected to a heat treatment which will set a synthetic yarn, a coating of rubber being applied which will be subsequently vulcanized. Should cotton be utilized as the yarn in the fabric plies, the shrinking heat treatment may be eliminated, as it is known that animal and vegetable bres are not ordinarily heat shrinkable to any appreciable degree nor for that matter are all synthetic libres, and therefore the heat treatment step will generally only apply to the thermoplastic fibres.

The fabric as woven in two plies and suitably made impervious to the passage of air will be cut to a size and have the edges of each ply joined to the other, which may be filled with air or a gas and used as a cushion or mattress. In such an application it has been found that through the use of interconnecting yarns which exhibit more elasticity than the ply yarns, the completed cushion or mattress will have more resiliency than that obtained with an interconnecting yarn exhibiting little or no elas ticity. This effect may be attributed to the fact that pressure is applied over a relatively small area of a cushion which when filled with air will tend to compress the air or displace it. If the interconnecting yarns are elastic, it may readily be seen that the displaced air will tend to elongate the interconnecting libres at the area not under pressure rather than secure a result of increasing pressure throughout the mattress and giving a rather hard feel. Thus, by utilizing interconnecting threads exhibiting some elasticity, a superior cushion or mattress may be formed and in fact the product may have other applications Where sorne give is deemed desirable. For instance, the product may be utilized as a strip sealer for closures, as a garment,

i and as a resilient container for material which will suffer a great impact, such as from an air drop, to name just a few.

I claim:

1. An inflatable article comprising two plies of Woven fabric substantially non-elastic in its own plane, relatively elastic connection threads extending, when the fabric is inated and the plies are spaced, generally perpendicular to said plies from one ply to the other ply and interwoven with the wefts of each ply while extending parallel to the warps of each ply.

2. A two-ply fabric according to claim l wherein said interconnecting warps have been processed to make the same highly crimped so as to have a high degree of resilient elongation.

3. A two-ply fabric according to claim 1 wherein said interconnecting warps are arranged in groups of a plurality of warps to form tie threads interwoven with the wefts of `said plies at concentrate locations spaced from each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Feb. 21, 1951 

